Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Xie Chengze kindly reminded him, “Father, this son is frail and sickly.”
Emperor Jian looked at his rosy, healthy little face and declined to comment. “Will you still be frail and sickly next year?”
“I would not hide it from Father.” Xie Chengze coughed twice and put on a mildly invalid air. “This son suffers from an affliction of the heart. A long illness weakens the body, so I can only be cosseted and cared for.”
As though afraid of something, he looked pitifully at Emperor Jian. “Father won’t cast this son aside, will you? You’ll keep taking care of this son, won’t you?”
Emperor Jian: …
Xie Chengze coughed twice more and kindly reminded him, “If this son keeps coughing during court from now on, it will truly interfere with discussions of state.”
What would it look like if he coughed every time a minister spoke?
Emperor Jian was amused. Though he did not know why Xie Chengze was pretending to be ill, he had always indulged this son in every way and would not grow angry over it.
Truthfully, although he used little Chengze as the Crown Prince’s whetstone, Chengze was almost too “dedicated.” He attended court every single day without fail and refused to rest even when he fell ill. Emperor Jian saw it all and ached for him, so naturally he hoped the boy would take a few days to rest.
As for the spring imperial examination, there was no hurry.
“Very well. Rest properly, and do not follow in your mother’s…”
At the mention of Noble Consort Hua, a trace of sorrow passed through Emperor Jian’s eyes. His love for her had apparently been genuine; there was nothing false about his grief.
Xie Chengze nodded and took both of Emperor Jian’s hands. His eyes sincere and earnest, he urged, “Father, you must also take care of your health. Do not exhaust yourself with affairs of state. Any unimportant memorials can be given to the little Crown Prince. He’s young, he can take a beating, and he hasn’t even gone bald yet. He has plenty of energy to lighten Father’s burden and do the work in your place.”
Emperor Jian: …
Emperor Jian waved a hand. “Very well. You and Shen Yuan may leave.”
The two withdrew. Long afterward, the silent Emperor Jian touched the top of his head.
He had not started going bald yet… had he?
It was a long walk from the Imperial Study to the palace gates. Xie Chengze and Shen Yuan proceeded one in front of the other.
Thinking that Shen Yuan was the protagonist of the original novel and someone he ought to befriend, Xie Chengze turned and gave him a friendly smile, raising a hand in invitation. “Young Master Shen, come here.”
That “Young Master Shen” made Shen Yuan’s skin crawl. Still, he wanted to see what trick Xie Chengze meant to play, so he stepped up beside him. Suppressing the urge to strangle the man, he produced a natural smile. “What does Your Highness require?”
“How old are you, Young Master Shen?” Xie Chengze asked conversationally.
“This Shen is twenty-one.”
“Oh~ This prince is nineteen, two years younger than Young Master Shen~” Xie Chengze said with a beaming smile. “It seems this prince should call you Brother Shen.”
Shen Yuan scoffed inwardly. “Your Highness possesses exalted status, while this Shen is merely a commoner. I would not dare accept the honor.”
“Oh, come now~ You’re the Grand Tutor’s grandson. I hear you’ve read widely since childhood and even Father praises you highly. This prince has been dull-witted from birth and admires learned, talented men like you more than anyone.” Xie Chengze spared no effort in flattering him.
Shen Yuan’s fists tightened.
The moment he imagined Xie Chengze was also reborn, every word sounded like veiled mockery.
With a faint, inscrutable smile, Shen Yuan let his gaze drift toward Xie Chengze’s face and said as if casually, “Your Highness should not belittle yourself. In this Shen’s view, Your Highness also possesses many virtues.”
Completely unsuspecting, Xie Chengze asked, “Oh? What virtues does this prince possess?”
“Your Highness’s appearance is peerless, a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms. Even the foremost beauty under heaven cannot compare. You are surely one of the wonders of Jian’an.” Shen Yuan curled his lips in mockery and waited for Xie Chengze to fly into humiliated rage and expose himself.
Xie Chengze chuckled. “Young Master Shen has an excellent eye.”
Shen Yuan: …
Looking at Xie Chengze’s innocent, lamb-like smile, Shen Yuan felt something strange stir in his heart. For a moment, he could not decide whether Xie Chengze was simply exceptionally good at swallowing humiliation and biding his time, or whether the sword in the Golden Throne Hall had poked his brain stupid.
If it was the former, then he might be even harder to deal with than in the previous life.
The two made desultory conversation until they reached the palace gates, where Shen Yuan retrieved the green sword he carried from the guards.
He keenly noticed Xie Chengze glance at the green sword, seemingly deeply wary of it.
Lowering his eyes slightly, Shen Yuan deliberately drew the blade. With a *shing*, the green sword left its sheath, producing a piercing scrape like cold iron dragged over stone.
Xie Chengze instantly leaped to the side like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on and watched him warily.
What was he doing? What was this?
Why had he suddenly drawn his sword?
This never happened in the original novel!
Xie Chengze might have forgotten many details of the book, but he was absolutely certain that Shen Yuan had not drawn his sword at this moment in the original story!
He had not done anything to provoke Shen Yuan just now… had he?!
Seeing Xie Chengze so frightened, Shen Yuan sneered inwardly.
He had known it. This sword had personally ended Xie Chengze’s life. How could Xie Chengze possibly see it without fear?
He had revealed the flaw in the end. Xie Chengze was indeed reborn.
A cold curve touched Shen Yuan’s lips. He looked at Xie Chengze with a smile that was not a smile and deliberately flourished the sword before him. “What does Your Highness think of this Shen’s sword?”
Terrified the blade might land on him, Xie Chengze silently retreated two steps, then raised his thumb in praise. “What a fine sword. And what a lowlife to match.”
Shen Yuan: ?
Dying once had certainly sharpened his tongue.
Shen Yuan slid the silver-white blade back into its sheath and glanced at the few carriages scattered nearby. Wuhen and Wuji, who normally remained at Xie Chengze’s side, were nowhere to be seen.
“I hear Your Highness has two guards of exceptional martial skill. Why have I not seen them today?” Shen Yuan asked as if casually. “This Shen also enjoys the martial arts and hopes to exchange moves with true experts.”
He weighed the possibility of killing Xie Chengze. His thumb hooked over the end of the scabbard and worked the green sword up and down, producing a regular series of crisp, bright clicks.
“Shing, click. Shing, click.”
Every pause between the sounds heralded approaching death.
“Oh, they left the palace to buy popular storybooks for this prince.” Only after Shen Yuan put the sword away did Xie Chengze relax and answer honestly. “There are too many serious books in Chenghuan Hall. They’re no good for passing the time.”
Another question mark appeared in Shen Yuan’s mind.
This time, he gave Xie Chengze a serious once-over. “Your Highness enjoys reading storybooks?”
He had never seen him read such things in the previous life.
Xie Chengze lowered his head shyly. “This prince particularly enjoys stories about love between men. What about Young Master Shen? If you like them too, this prince can have Wuji deliver a few to your residence.”
Shen Yuan: ??????
At Shen Yuan’s thunderstruck expression, Xie Chengze cackled wickedly inside. *Heh heh heh.*
*Serves you right for drawing that sword to scare me. Dumbfounded now, aren’t you?*
They were both men. Xie Chengze knew all too well what men feared most. After what he had said today, if he then holed up in Chenghuan Hall, Shen Yuan would surely want nothing more to do with him and keep as far away as possible.
If they never met, friction could never arise between them, and Xie Chengze’s little life would be safe!
Xie Chengze found himself extraordinarily clever. He deliberately patted Shen Yuan on the shoulder, and as he felt the body beneath his hand gradually stiffen, a trace of mockery lifted the corner of his lips.
He said with a bright smile, “Young Master Shen, our paths diverge from here. This prince will return to Chenghuan Hall first. Take your time.”
Indeed. His path and Shen Yuan’s would never be the same.
Suppressing the urge to shove Xie Chengze away, Shen Yuan kept his expression as natural as possible, nodded, turned, and strode toward his carriage.
He had taken only a few steps when Xie Chengze’s soft, sweet voice rang out loudly behind him. “Young Master Shen, this prince bought many storybooks about love between men. If you’re truly interested, this prince certainly won’t be stingy!”
Shen Yuan: …
Damn it, could he shut his mouth? The palace guards were still there!
He turned back. Sure enough, the patrolling guards nearby were staring wide-eyed at him and Xie Chengze, wearing the shocked expressions of men who had heard something they never should have heard.
Before noon, news that His Highness the Second Prince and Young Master Shen enjoyed storybooks about love between men would likely spread throughout the entire palace.
The powerful minister who, in the previous life, had been as open and luminous as a clear moon after rain and struck fear into every official could only smother his fury and roar his denial at Xie Chengze in utter exhaustion. “This Shen is not interested!”
–
One mouth can start a rumor; a man can run his legs off trying to refute it.
That very day, even Sheng Yiren, the foremost beauty of the capital who lived outside the palace, heard the news.
“Brother Shen, do you truly…?” At the teahouse, Sheng Yiren stared at Shen Yuan in disbelief, looking as though she had to get to know him all over again.
A vein throbbed at Shen Yuan’s temple. The teacup in his hand trembled on the verge of shattering. “It was Xie – It was nonsense from the Second Prince! He likes reading them himself and insisted on dragging me into it!”
Sheng Yiren gave him a suspicious look. “But as far as I know, His Highness the Second Prince is more sensitive about such things than anyone. At the Qionglin Banquet a few years ago, the third-ranked scholar got drunk and mistook His Highness for a woman. He merely composed a poem, and His Highness had him…”
The rest was inconvenient to say. Emperor Jian doted on His Highness the Second Prince, and the poem had indeed contained rather suggestive fantasies. The third-ranked scholar had been thrown directly into prison and beheaded.
Sheng Yiren could not easily judge the matter. As the foremost beauty of the capital and the legitimate daughter of the Vice Minister of Rites, she too was inevitably subjected to baseless fantasies. With names plucked and identities stripped away, she would appear in popular storybooks as a woman who loved impoverished scholars and gladly washed her hands to cook their meals.
Even she found it thoroughly distasteful. His Highness the Second Prince was a man being subjected to other men’s fantasies, and he already had a poor temper. That he had killed someone in fury was only to be expected.
Thus, when Sheng Yiren heard that His Highness enjoyed that sort of book, her first thought was that it was false – absolutely false, nothing but a rumor.
The Second Prince had probably been dragged into it by Shen Yuan.
At the distrust in Sheng Yiren’s eyes, Shen Yuan’s headache grew worse. The other man at the tea table, dressed in green, spoke gently. “Yiren, you and I both grew up with Brother Shen. We know better than anyone whether he is that sort of man. There must be some misunderstanding.”
Sheng Yiren shrugged, unconcerned.
They might have grown up together, but Shen Yuan had left the capital with Grand Tutor Shen for many years. Who knew whether his travels from north to south had given him any unusual tastes?
“Don’t worry. I have no prejudice,” Sheng Yiren promised, patting her chest. “Of course, I also believe you do not.”
The words failed to comfort Shen Yuan in the slightest. Besides, his headache was caused by more than the rumor. The current Xie Chengze was so slippery and shameless that Shen Yuan had begun to feel he might be troublesome to handle.
In their first confrontation, Shen Yuan somehow seemed to have come off worse.
But…
There would be plenty of time. No matter who won or lost along the way, Shen Yuan would hold victory firmly in his grasp.